diff --git a/Godeps/Godeps.json b/Godeps/Godeps.json
index b03917c2a3c..e19bfb32c1a 100644
--- a/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/evanphx/json-patch",
-			"Rev": "944e07253867aacae43c04b2e6a239005443f33a"
+			"Rev": "ed7cfbae1fffc071f71e068df27bf4f0521402d8"
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/exponent-io/jsonpath",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
index 89d634346ad..699c74ad9b0 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/evanphx/json-patch",
-			"Rev": "944e07253867aacae43c04b2e6a239005443f33a"
+			"Rev": "ed7cfbae1fffc071f71e068df27bf4f0521402d8"
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/ghodss/yaml",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/Godeps/Godeps.json b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/Godeps/Godeps.json
index 8c309a8d0a9..7835fa8a234 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/evanphx/json-patch",
-			"Rev": "944e07253867aacae43c04b2e6a239005443f33a"
+			"Rev": "ed7cfbae1fffc071f71e068df27bf4f0521402d8"
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/ghodss/yaml",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
index e2f71bfb0cd..320e746a7fc 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/evanphx/json-patch",
-			"Rev": "944e07253867aacae43c04b2e6a239005443f33a"
+			"Rev": "ed7cfbae1fffc071f71e068df27bf4f0521402d8"
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/ghodss/yaml",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/Godeps/Godeps.json b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/Godeps/Godeps.json
index 25822d775e6..703dfe6075d 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/evanphx/json-patch",
-			"Rev": "944e07253867aacae43c04b2e6a239005443f33a"
+			"Rev": "ed7cfbae1fffc071f71e068df27bf4f0521402d8"
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/ghodss/yaml",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json b/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
index 068e15556c0..177fbf52a73 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/evanphx/json-patch",
-			"Rev": "944e07253867aacae43c04b2e6a239005443f33a"
+			"Rev": "ed7cfbae1fffc071f71e068df27bf4f0521402d8"
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/ghodss/yaml",
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/evanphx/json-patch/patch.go b/vendor/github.com/evanphx/json-patch/patch.go
index de70dbca78e..755d8ba3b1b 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/evanphx/json-patch/patch.go
+++ b/vendor/github.com/evanphx/json-patch/patch.go
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ func (n *lazyNode) intoDoc() (*partialDoc, error) {
 		return &n.doc, nil
 	}
 
+	if n.raw == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unable to unmarshal nil pointer as partial document")
+	}
+
 	err := json.Unmarshal(*n.raw, &n.doc)
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -81,6 +85,10 @@ func (n *lazyNode) intoAry() (*partialArray, error) {
 		return &n.ary, nil
 	}
 
+	if n.raw == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unable to unmarshal nil pointer as partial array")
+	}
+
 	err := json.Unmarshal(*n.raw, &n.ary)
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -94,6 +102,10 @@ func (n *lazyNode) intoAry() (*partialArray, error) {
 func (n *lazyNode) compact() []byte {
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 
+	if n.raw == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	err := json.Compact(buf, *n.raw)
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -104,6 +116,10 @@ func (n *lazyNode) compact() []byte {
 }
 
 func (n *lazyNode) tryDoc() bool {
+	if n.raw == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
 	err := json.Unmarshal(*n.raw, &n.doc)
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -115,6 +131,10 @@ func (n *lazyNode) tryDoc() bool {
 }
 
 func (n *lazyNode) tryAry() bool {
+	if n.raw == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
 	err := json.Unmarshal(*n.raw, &n.ary)
 
 	if err != nil {